Once the preserve of the 'way out punk rocker' society piercing has entered main street culture as a fashionable and glamour enhancing addition to today's beauty aids.

What you need to think about.

Unlike tattoos which are difficult to remove without leaving a scar, piercing need not be permanent.

Providing care is taken to keep the hole clean and free from infection it can close up without leaving an unsightly scar should you decide it no longer suits you.

Of all the parts of the body the eye area provides the most noticeable and dramatic area for piercing. Choice of jewelry will depend on the type of piercing you opt for but there are a wide variety of designs and metals available.

Piercing, as you can imagine, is not pain free and great care must be taken during the healing process and that will take six to eight weeks.

The degree of pain is not excessive and can be compared to a prolonged injection, so much will depend on your tolerance but most people report that they had no significant problem.

Some people experience bleeding during and after piercing and others do not bleed at all, it all depends on you. It is important to think carefully about the effect you want to achieve with your piecing and the first consideration is the location.

Piercing through the outside corner of the eyebrow is popular and also becoming fashionable is on the cheek just below the outside corner of the eye and that can look great with jeweled studs and dramatic make up around the piercing.

Horizontal piercing immediately above the eyebrow is also a good alternative and perhaps a little more extreme is piercing through the bridge of the nose.

You must also decide on whether you want a ring or barbell inserted when the piercing is carried out, don't worry the salon carrying out the procedure will have a choice.

Getting It Done.

Find a salon that has a licensed and experienced piercer and the premises look clean and well run.

Check out that all the equipment is correctly sterilized after each use and that only new packaged hollow needles are used once and then disposed of.

The piercing technician should wear new latex gloves straight out of the packaging so keep your eyes open and be aware that the procedures are being adhered to.

Before booking your appointment it is worth watching other clients being pierced and a reputable salon will have no objection to you having a look.

Warning - severe communicable diseases can be transmitted through unsterilized or previously used equipment.

For your appointment wear clothes that do not have to be pulled up over your head so you can avoid the possibility of catching on your new jewellery, that could be painful! Keep your hair off your face.

Just before the start and during the procedure try to relax by taking deep breaths and stay as calm as you can.